Letters to the editor Monday: Recent 'Pearls' column inspires

Sunday

Jul 7, 2019 at 7:48 PMJul 8, 2019 at 8:17 AM

Recent 'Pearls' column inspires

Ben Goggins’ "Looking for Pearls" column on a biking trip published July 2 offers a pleasant respite from the disasters, shootings, and battle skirmishes that dominate the headlines of newspapers and television networks. Whereas NBC News provides a soundbyte of inspiration at the end of its broadcast, Goggins paints a scenic view of Middle America. I chuckled at his being “duty-bound to sample, for research purposes, many slices of [pie--] blueberry, cheesecake” and other delicious flavors. I enjoyed his description of the various ethnicities that he encountered along his journey with the bicyclists. I am — almost - -persuaded to join them.

Yes, the United States still has its warts, and racism still simmers behind facades. Yes, there are many violent activities that deserve to be announced. But I remember an article in this newspaper a couple years back that cited that the world is not falling apart; it’s not always as scary as the media often portrays it.

What if several citizens followed the example of these Kansans — not just for a special event but on a daily basis? How much better would our society be? Can you start now by saying “thank you” to the Savannah city workers who collect your garbage or to the housekeeper in your office building? A smile and kind action can make a big difference.

Rose Marcia Metts, Savannah

Protest of Betsy Ross flag is nonsense

I was totally appalled and speechless at the news of Nike pulling it's Betsy Ross glag shoes from the shelves due to a statement from Colin Kaepernick in which he stated that the Betsy Ross flag was racist. The Betsy Ross flag is about as racist as the Bible. If your going to start doing away with things related to slavery then we need to tear down the White House and the U.S. Capitol as they were built with slave labor. Heck, lets get rid of our National Anthem as it was written Sept. 14, 1814, before slavery was abolished.

Unfortunately, slavery is a part of our national heritage. Slavery is as old as the centuries. The Bible is full of stories of slavery and indentured people. Now I am seeing monuments from the Civil War taken down rather than plaques being put beside them explaining the truth of the war and its causes. I hear talk of reparations. What about reparations for those brought over as indentured servants? Or Native Americans? Where does it end?

Over the years I have heard many African-American activists such as Jessie Jackson and Al Sharpton talk about how racist the white man is toward the black man. During my time in the work field, I have witnessed the race card played several times. In Savannah we all witnessed black elected officials attend a public forum where a sign was placed on the door staying "Black Press Only." I have witnessed and been on the receiving end of bigotry in restaurants and businesses because I was the wrong color.

For racism to end, the African-American community needs to look in the mirror, too.

Fred Kidd, Savannah

Constituent disappointed in Rep. Carter

It’s not easy being a congressman. Consider poor Buddy Carter. First he has no problem with oil platforms off the Georgia coast despite broad-based pushback from First District constituents. Next he pivots and comes out against offshore oil development. Constituents cheer, but are unaware of the wiggle room he’s left for himself. Turns out he’s against oil development off our coast, but favors moving forward with disruptive and dangerous seafloor research.

While many understandably scratch their heads and wonder at the logic behind backing research while decrying development another answer presents itself: money. Apparently the D.C. swamp is alive, well and spawning embarrassing disclosures. Needing funding for his campaign, our intrepid Congressman hires a firm to raise money. The firm books him into an "Oil & Gas breakfast." Invitations go out to lobbyists and high rollers willing to pay $500 or more to be in his presence. Apparently unaware all this is going on, once the invitations are out he maintains he couldn’t refuse to appear.

The fact that he got himself into this conundrum should raise concerns about whether or not he’s got our back. Is Carter in too deep with people and organizations that want his blessing to advance their agenda? Does he remember who sent him to D.C.? Is he simply confused or is he getting too big for his britches? It’s time for our congressman to square up with his constituents or find another line of work.

Richard Coyle, Savannah

Where is outcry over border detention conditions

We have recently seen graphic pictures illustrating the deplorable conditions facing men, women and children who are trying to escape the tyranny and poverty of their lives in Central America by coming to the “land of the free and the home of the brave” to make a better life for themselves.

The images, along with a redacted version of the Office of the U.S. Inspector General’s report, have prompted plenty of hand-wringing but little real outcry. The silence is, in many ways, deafening.

The U.S. Inspector General’s report entitled “Management Alert – DHS Needs to Address Dangerous Overcrowding and Prolonged Detention of Children and Adults in the Rio Grande Valley” clearly shows how poorly these people are being treated and that the Border Patrol staff are not adhering to the standards established by the laws of the United States.

There are pictures in the report and statements that make one’s blood boil, such as “At one facility, some single adults were held in standing room only conditions for a week and at another, some single adults were held more than a month in overcrowded cells.” Think about that.

Also “children at three of the five Border Patrol facilities had no access to showers and limited access to changes of clothes.”

In years to come, future generations will wonder why we did nothing and how we let this happen. Let’s give some thought to sending funds to some of the non-profit agencies and pro-bono lawyers working with these brave, tired, frightened people. There are lists of organizations to donate to online.

In addition, call your elected officials in Washington and tell them they are responsible for the policies that have created these conditions and they are not upholding the values of our United States.

Rosemary Mackey, Savannah

Violence in world makes celebration pointless

During these days of celebrating our independence I still can't help wondering what exactly it is we're celebrating. A quick glance at the daily headlines will prove a world at the mercy of violence while we Americans continue struggling to find a sense of purpose and common cause.

Now that presidential platforms are already in the making I have yet to hear a candidate with plans to begin reeling in our global aggressions and wars. And until we unite in purpose to seek out non-violent solutions then nothing else in this life is ever going to change. When changing anything seems like a lost cause anymore, it's likely the result of what I have deemed the "fatted-pig syndrome," similar to fattening up a pig prior to slaughter. We fatten up on being overfed, entertained, misguided, tweeted, opinionated and clueless while waiting patiently for breaking news that the end is finally here. That's not common cause, that's a tragedy.

Try and imagine the world today resembling a loaded handgun with our current acceptable levels of violence working to slowly pull the trigger back into locked position. With a pointed gun at your face that more than likely is interrupting dinner, the time for cause and purpose is at hand when we stand united, unlock and unload, and let the celebration begin.

Charles Hudson, Rincon

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